Death is Certain

It’s a fact of life. Everyone and everything gets old, wears out, breaks down, and dies. When we lose those close to us, it can be a devastating loss. It seems to always come as such a surprise as if we expected the one we loved to be the exception to the rule. They would be the one to cheat death and live forever! Certainly, some deaths come more unexpectedly than others, but considering none of us have the guarantee of another breath, shouldn’t we be doing a better job of cherishing the moments we have right now?

Let’s face it, everything dies. We will die. The key is to prepare our souls first and then help others prepare for that day as well. Death is certain. There is no getting around it, so why do we work so hard to avoid thinking about it?

I don’t mean to be morbid, but again, death is certain. We’re not going to beat it, and neither are those whom we hold dearest. As Dave Ramsey likes to say, “We’ve done the survey, and 100% of people are going to experience death.” Knowing this, I think it wise to do a little preparation. Just as in an airplane, where the first step in case of emergency is to affix your own oxygen mask before assisting others, you need to get yourself right with God before attempting to help others secure their eternal destiny.

To be clear, following Christ is about so much more than acquiring a “Get out of Hell free” card, or just securing where you’ll spend the afterlife. Becoming a disciple of Jesus means picking up and carrying your cross every single day of your life. If nothing else, it should serve as the “death is certain” reminder. I never want to see someone accept Christ solely on the premise of escaping Hell or going to Heaven (or both!). The only true commitment to Christ, the one worthy of His salvation, is the complete and total surrender of our lives to Him.

Even disciples of Jesus die. All of them. There is no escaping death. The key is to live life to the fullest while we still have it. Living life to the full means becoming the person God created you to be. It’s then you’ll be your happiest and most at peace. Remember, death is certain, but life is not. It’s up to us what we will do with the time allotted to us.

Knowing death is certain, we need to maximize every day on earth for Christ. We’ll mourn when we lose those closest to us, but life must go on. If we’re alive, we have work to do. We can’t quit before we die. That’s disrespecting the gifts given to us and the Giver Himself. Mourn for those who have gone before us but be encouraged by what their lives added to our own. Use their strength to support your own. Use their faith to build yours. Death is certain, but until it comes, we’re not through. Get busy while the day is still here.